Thank You Notes Are Not Just For After an Interview

Sending a thank you note after a job interview is a good way to impress employers with your professionalism and good manners. However, an interview is not the only situation that demands a thank you note. Practice good professional etiquette by sending a thank you note in each of these situations.

Informal Interviews

Formal interviews are not the only critical events in a job search. Informal interviews can also be vitally important, and the people who agreed to meet with you deserve a thank you note as recognition of their time and effort. For example, if you meet with a director at a company as a result of an introduction from a friend, consider this meeting an informal interview and send a thank you note, just as you would after a formal interview.

Introductions

As well as thanking the people who agree to meet with you for an informal interview, you also need to thank the friend who made the introduction. Keep it simple by sending a quick thank you note, letting your friend know that the meeting was helpful for you. If you want to pay back the friend, you can even offer to arrange an introduction to one of your contacts.

Mentoring

If someone has taken time out of their day to coach or mentor you, then they deserve a thank you note. For example, if a colleague helps you to prepare for an important presentation or coaches you in preparation for an interview, then you should show your appreciation by sending a thank you note. Expressing gratitude helps to foster good relationships and makes people more likely to help you again in the future.

Networking Events

If you have recently attended a networking event, make the effort to get in touch with those people who gave you their business cards. Send a short email to each person expressing how much you enjoyed meeting them and thanking them for any interesting discussions you had. You can even encourage the relationship to continue by suggesting a time to meet for coffee. Make this process easier by always carrying a pen at networking events so you can jot down details about each person you meet and the topics you discussed on the backs of the business cards you collect.

Never put off sending a thank you note. Thanking people quickly and politely when they help you out is a key part of professional etiquette. If you're in doubt about whether to send a thank you note, keep things simple by sending a short email expressing your thanks. Even writing a brief note can help to keep you in the recipient's mind and show that you are a polite and professional person.

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